To Walk the Earth
by AkurnaSkulblaka
Summary: Ichigo is dead, and now he has to fight his way back to the world of the living. With a new companion at his side, Ichigo has to traverse the D'sol desert and onto the more... lively parts of the world of the dead. Sequel to The Colored Forest!
1. Chapter 1

Well, welcome to: To Walk the Earth! If you have not read The Colored Forest, this story might not make much sense :) So please go read if you have not. To those of you who have, here is the awaited story of how Ichigo has to fight his way back to life, to get to Grimmjow. There is a biiiiiig surprise waiting for those who make it to the end, seriously.

THIS IS A SEQUEL :P

CHAPTER 1

A soft wind drifted across the flat land, yet it was no relief from the scalding heat. As Ichigo walked he grew hotter, so his leather armor grew hot and sticky with his sweat. The sweltering heat did not recede and Ichigo began to see the ground move around him in undulating rivulets. He nearly fell, watching the heat rise up from the ground. It was then that he heard it. The sound of hoof beats, though muffled by the shifty sand, rang through Ichigo's head. At first he thought it was a reminiscent memory from his living days, but it grew louder, rumbling in his ears. He turned swiftly and saw men approaching on horseback. He stayed firm, not believing that they would deliberately let their horses run him over. They stopped in front of him.

The horses were strange, pale, white creatures, with milky eyes. With growing trepidation, Ichigo saw that they had no hooves at the end of their forelegs, but hands. He figured it was to give purchase in the sifting sand. He noticed that the riders were very different from the people he had seen. They were wrapped in long strips of cloth, and whatever skin was exposed was pale and colorless. They had small tufts of hair escaping from their ragged coverings that adorned their heads. Their eyes glowed red in the light of the sun, leading Ichigo to believe that these were the 'obstacles' that Pantera had mentioned. One of them raised a hand and pulled down the rags from over his mouth, revealing a smiling mouth full of jagged gleaming teeth. It leaned forward in its seat on the horse, and a low hissing sound greeted his ears.

He pulled his bow from his back and strung an arrow. He released it. The thing jumped off its horse and approached him, pulling a shiny curved sword from his side.

Ichigo let loose another arrow. It buried itself in the creature's forehead, and it fell to the ground with a muffle thump. Instantaneously, Ichigo ran forward, catching the reins of the neighing horse and jumping into the saddle. He spurred the horse on, and it jumped over the fallen body and sped away from the other two riders. The hoof beats were different than those of a normal horse's, but it ran through the sifting sand like a breeze through the trees. He kept thinking of those trees, back at home. Resting in the shadow of a leafy tree was a luxury compared to what he was going through now. He shook those thoughts from his mind, though. He had some enemies to take care of, and they were short on his tail.

He turned in the saddle, and strung another arrow, releasing it. It landed in the middle of the second one's stomach. A loud screeching noise reached his ears, over the pounding of hooves, and the creature pulled the arrow from his gut. Red blood trickled out of the injury, making Ichigo believe that it was human, too, just distorted and weird.

He took another arrow and this time aimed for the head. He shot the arrow. It hit its mark.

He slowed the horse down, turning it to face the last rider, who was far behind the others. He placed his bow back at his back and unsheathed his sword. The rider stopped, and dismounted, and to his surprise, bowed in the hot sand. He slowly sheathed his sword, wary. Dismounting, he kept the horses reins in his hands and walked over to the bowed figure. As he came closer, he saw that it was a woman, if the slender figure was anything to go by.

He left the woman for a moment, and walked over to the fallen enemy. He killed the horse. As much as it bothered him to do it, having the horse return to its home, riderless, would bring up suspicion with any companions that these people may have had. They may come after him. They would, eventually, when they went to look for their companions that had not returned, they would find the bodies and demand revenge. But he would like to keep his presence unknown for as long as he could. He then examined the fallen body. He opened the rags with some difficulty, because the man had a series of metal hoops that pierced the skin of his cheeks, and the cloth was woven through them. He cut the rags with his blade and began to unweave the cloth from the hoops. He saw that the face of the second one looked to be distorted, with gross alterations that made bile rise to the back if Ichigo's throat. Its eyes were uneven and a blood red, no distinct pupil could be seen.

He walked back to the woman who was no longer bowing but looking at him curiously.

"Where am I?" he asked, his voice cracking from misuse and parchedness, "And why were you attacking me?"

The woman bowed again, trembling, and spoke.

"You are in the D'sol desert. We attacked you because you are an outsider, a stranger to the Saj." Her voice was husky and dry, like she had not had a drink in a long while. Ichigo wasn't surprised. She spoke again, "I plead for your forgiveness, please do not kill me." she said, surprisingly calm, for the words that were escaping her lips.

Ichigo took a deep breath, he could use her. She could lead him through this parched land.

"I am looking to traverse the desert. If I let you live, you will help me. You cross me, you die," he groused, "Stand up."

She stood slowly, and began to lift her hands.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo snapped, his hand reaching for his sword, his body ready to leap back onto the horse if there was a sign of aggression.

The woman paused, "I'm removing my wrappings; ait is a sign of submission to you. You are above me," she murmured and continued to remove the cloth.

Ichigo watched with growing interest as her face was revealed. Her hair was blonde, light despite not having had contact with the sun's punishing rays, and her eyes were shown to be a light green, framed by thick blonde lashes. Ichigo felt a wave of heat flow through his chest. Gods she was beautiful.

The woman looked down, her eyes hid themselves and Ichigo thought for a moment that he was disappointed that he could no longer see those expressive, green eyes. With a slight grunt he turned and mounted his horse. He looked at the woman.

"Lead the way," he said.

* * *

Ichigo had no idea where they were, and he had no idea how the woman riding in front of him knew where they were. Maybe she was leading him toward a village of some sorts, where she could gather her people and kill him off. He would kill her if he had any foresight on the matter. But of course, he didn't. And he was getting hungry. His throat was already parched, but he couldn't drink, for fear of being stuck in this arid desert forever. He didn't even know if he would die. He knew that the Saj could die, he'd killed two of them. But he didn't know if they lived indefinitely until someone killed them, or if they were mortals with lives that ended at old age. He needed to find out.

"What is your name?" Ichigo asked, trotting his horse up to ride next to the woman.

The woman looked at him, her face blank, but her mutinous eyes displaying her suspicion and fear. "My name is Hallibel."

Ichigo looked at her for a moment, and then looked across the desert, trying to find a way to lead the questions in the direction that he wanted them to go.

"Why are the Saj in the desert?" he finally asked. That was a great place to start, Ichigo thought, silently praising himself for a job well done.

Hallibel thought for a moment, looking straight ahead, before she spoke; "I don't really know, I was found in the desert a long time ago," she paused here, not really having answered his question, but still thinking how she was to word the answer. "I am told neither what happens nor what has happened in this land. I was captured and forced to drink and eat, so I am ageless and bound to these sands forever. And after you do eat, you must eat to survive. I have been here for years, and the days have begun to blur together."

Ichigo looked at Hallibel. His question was answered, but what she said, prompted another. "What do you mean by 'captured?'" he asked.

The woman next to him smiled, "We all have secrets we'd like to keep," she said, then she flicked the reins and her horse trotted forward.

Ichigo stared after her, one eyebrow raised. He was making sure to keep a sharp eye on the horizon and Hallibel, and thought about what he'd found out. So Hallibel was a woman not of the Saj, apparently, because she was captured and forced to eat. But if that was the case, where did Hallibel come from? She hadn't seemed hostile at all, only different. She immediately submitted to him, but that may have been because she feared him. He saw the fear in her eyes as he looked into them. But she hadn't done a thing when the others attacked him, she even let her horse trot slowly behind. If anyone had initiated the attack it would have been Ichigo. Maybe she wanted to leave this place as much as he did. Well, what he had to do first was get through this day without dying. That was the first thing, because despite the fact that there were no longer any of the Saj chasing after him, Ichigo was sure that they weren't the only thing that posed a threat to him in this desert land.

* * *

After a couple of hours the sun began to set on the horizon and Ichigo saw that it was the end of the first day. Thoughts of his journey plagued his mind. Like making it on time, would he? How could he when he had no idea where he was. And this woman... she was tempting him. Giving him fleeting glances when she thought he couldn't see, but looking away quickly when he faced her. Watching her slender form ride her horse in front of him was giving him many thoughts on what else she could ride. Gods, she was gorgeous. But the Rii desert was not a homely place, and he felt that if he were to settle in and to inside her warm wet depths, his little escapade would be quickly interrupted by any danger that may pass as the cried out in their joyous ecstasy. He wished he was back in the colored forest, where everything was beautiful. He had not forgotten that just because something was beautiful in the Gikleurde it didn't necessarily mean that it wasn't dangerous, but at least it was nice to look at.

"We should set up camp, it's getting dark," Hallibel said, reining in her horse. She led it down a sloping sand dune and then dismounted. Ichigo followed, still worried about reaching his destination on time.

"Can't we travel through the night?" he asked, leaning back in his saddle as his horse slowly walked down the hill.

"We could, but there are more dangerous things out here, more dangerous than the Saj. And the roam at night."

Ichigo couldn't argue with that. He couldn't very well die out in this sea of sand, all because he didn't listen to the voice of reason garbed in a robe of beauty.

With slow progress they set up camp, Hallibel having to show Ichigo how to pitch the strange tent that was rolled up and tied to the horse's saddle.

Ichigo climbed into the tent, as he lay in the raggedy bed, he realized that it smelled atrocious. He wouldn't be able to sleep with this disgusting smell breaching his nostrils, and breathing through his mouth made his stomach lurch.

"You can sleep in my tent."

The utterance was so soft, so low, that Ichigo almost didn't hear it.

"What?" he asked, rising and sticking his head out the opening in the tent.

Hallibel didn't move, but she spoke louder this time.

"I know that the Saj don't smell very good, you can sleep with me, if you'd like."

Ichigo thought for a moment; he wanted to, but would that be a good idea? He might just follow through with his desires and take her right in her tent. He had a feeling that she wouldn't resist.

He took a deep breath and immediately regretted it, because the stench hit his nose and he nearly gagged.

Maybe it was a good idea.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter 2! Sorry for the delay, I had no internet for a while, and the library is a really long walk from my house. And I can't even ride my bike because of all the snow. This one will be longer that the others, just for being late! :O if you want to know what the Saj look like, there is a link on my profile, same with the Nuu. Are there any Skyrim lovers around here? Go to my profile and enjoy!**

CHAPTER 2

It was Hallibel that woke up first, her eyes blinking open in the early morning. The dawn sky looked beautiful, with a few remaining stars that were slowly disappearing as the sun began to rise. She stretched slowly, letting her stiff muscles loosen, and feeling Ichigo's body next to her, warm in the cold desert night. Hard and strong. She turned onto her side, with her back to him, despite how constricting it was for her breasts. She was very angry with herself; she had someone she loved already. Someone perfect. But she lost him, and that was the end of it. She was captured and forced to stay in the D'sol forever. It grew hopeless when the Saj around her would die, and she just kept on living. She had long ago resolved to never take another lover, to never let go of the memory of her vanished partner.

But here this man, one who couldn't even tell her his name, came and destroyed her desire to keep that promise to her lover. With his heated glances and sharp eyes, Hallibel had a hard time not forgetting about the man she had lost. Of course, it wasn't that she had little resolve. She just hadn't seen a person of her own kind in so long, that when she saw him, her world caved. She'd even tried to stay away from him, by slowing down her horse and hoping not to be noticed. Of course, she had been noticed. The man disposed of the two Saj like it was nothing. Which to him it probably was. The first one he had killed was Ro'saad, the leader of the caravan that was traversing the desert. He and Hallibel and another nameless Saj had been scouting out for danger, hoping not to find any, but turning out unlucky. Well, they were dead.

But the man had killed them so effortlessly. Hallibel hadn't been a fighter that used weapons, her bare hands suited her just fine, but that was why she got captured. They had surrounded her, and as she was fighting the overwhelming numbers, one of them shot her with kijit, what she later discovered to be a paralytic cactus sap applied to a splinter of wood. She'd had to learn to fight afterwards. After many tiresome years, and many masters, she learned to fight with sword and spear. She loathed touching the spears, or even the armor, for they were made from the shells of dead nuu. The nuu had scared the living hell out of Hallibel, for they were enormous scorpions that protected the Saj with their lives. She didn't need armor.

She could say that she was glad that this man had intruded upon her life. Mostly due to the break in the monotony, she might not have made it much longer and merely slit her throat with her weapon, hoping to die of blood loss. But she hadn't thus far. Mostly because she didn't know what would come after. This was also why she hadn't allowed anyone to leave so much as a scratch on her in every battle. She was adept at dodging blows and swipes of a sword, and she slowly tired her opponent out before dealing her own damage.

Maybe it was because this redheaded man had displayed his talent for fighting, that Hallibel thought she was drawn to him. She would love to fight him, see how far he could go before he tired, and see how long he could swing the sword he so effortlessly pulled from its scabbard. She didn't know, but one thing was for sure, she was attracted to him, she had no other explanation as to why she was granting him this much of her thoughts.

_I don't even know his name… _

"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki."

Hallibel jumped, surprised by the voice and the fact that she had spoken aloud. She smiled a little, sighing. So that was his name.

She turned to look at the redhead. Ichigo, his name was. His eyes flitted to her breasts, before shooting back up to her eyes, which annoyed Hallibel a little. She covered her breasts as best she could, despite the warmth igniting in her chest.

"How did you kill those Saj so easily?" she asked.

Ichigo looked puzzled for a moment at her quick change of subject, before he recovered and answered her question; "It was child's play," he said, grinning.

"But the first one you killed, his name was Ro'saad, he was a very powerful, the twin brother of the Ka, the Saj leader," Hallibel explained. "Where are you from… Ichigo," she finished, her words trailing off at the end.

"Who is this… Ka, this leader? Who is he?" Ichigo asked, as he did not hear the ending question. Hallibel was glad, she didn't need to know more about this redhaired stranger.

"His name is Ri'saad, he is the strongest of the Saj in this generation. The Saj have always been led by the strongest, and Ri'saad is just that."

Despite the fact that Hallibel had just explained that he had killed the brother of the strongest Saj in the desert, instead of looking apprehensive or even frightened, Ichigo looked elated. Like he _wanted_ to face the strongest of this land. It reminded Hallibel of her own lost love. She shook her head, ridding it of those thoughts; she didn't need to be comparing this man to the one she lost. She had to think about what to do next in this haphazard journey she was embarking on, with a stranger no less. It was weakness like this that would get her killed, with the tale of her death red-written on the golden sand.

"We should get going," she said, sitting up and crawling out of the small tent. Ichigo followed after her and stretched in the morning sun. Hallibel averted her eyes, not needing to see those sinewy muscles flexing beneath his tan skin. She gathered up the tent and wrapped it, hanging it back on the saddle. She mounted quickly, after digging in her saddle bag for her compass. Pulling the reins so the horse was facing north, she waited for Ichigo to mount.

He mounted swiftly and Hallibel spurred her horse to a quick trot. She needed to leave this wretched desert.

* * *

Hours, upon hours, they travelled through the scorching desert. Their horses were tireless, though they went at a slow pace. They stopped only to give the horses water and a portion of food that was in the saddle bags. The food that the Saj gave their horses looked repulsive, yet intriguing to Ichigo. These small spheres, black with blue spots. They were covered in slime and glowed faintly.

"What is it that you feed the horses?" Ichigo asked, digging his hand into the sack of food and pulling out a handful of the little balls. He let the horse eat from his hand.

"They are Nuu eggs," Hallibel said, smiling slightly when Ichigo paled. "Oh stop it, it's not like they're living."

"I'm not so happy to be touching these things now."

Hallibel laughed, mounting her horse and leading them off again. She liked it when he was confused. He made this face… with his brows furrowed and his lips in a frown. Rather enjoyable to look at.

Another hour they travelled. Ichigo was so thirsty. His throat wasn't dry and he felt that if he hadn't been assured that he wouldn't die, he would not have been able to talk. Somehow his body stayed hydrated, he continued to sweat, and his mouth was still wet with saliva. Yet he still felt the feeling of thirst, and the ache of hunger. He felt that if he continued this way, he would eventually go mad and give in to the urge. He needed to leave this desert.

"There is the end of the desert, Ichigo."

At first, Ichigo didn't hear the comment, his mind still preoccupied with the thoughts of food and water. He looked up, his eyes hooded and mouth ajar, and saw on the end of the horizon, a long trail of black. When his mind finally comprehended what Hallibel had said, he realized that it wasn't a black line, that it was… the end of the desert. His eyes opened wide, and they stayed focused on the faraway forest. He didn't blink, for fear that in the moment his world went black, the line of trees would disappear. He spurred his horse on, slowly speeding up until they were flying across the sand, the only thing behind them being two trails of billowing dust.

"Ichigo!" Hallibel yelled after a short while of quick riding. "Ichigo, the horses; they can't take this kind of speed! Stop!"

Ichigo pulled on the reins, slowly bringing his panting horse to a stop. He quickly dismounted, and walked over to his horse's head. The horse looked at him with its milky eyes, its belly heaving with each breath it took. It whinnied softly, nuzzling its nose to his cheek. Ichigo ruffled its pale forelock, a short apology on his lips. He looked into the milky eyes and could almost sense familiarity. The creature reminded him of home, of the Gikleurde, of Shadowmere. Despite the differences, this was still a horse.

"We have to stop for the night, Ichigo. The horses need rest, and the sun is setting. You don't know the night in the desert. Travelling at night would be suicide."

Ichigo looked at the blonde woman, his eyes narrowing, "Yes, we should stop for the night."

* * *

"I see them, Ka," said one of them.

The Ka was quiet for a moment, trying to calm his anger, his breath coming out in hissing pants. When his fury did not abate, he pulled out his chitin dagger and flicked his wrist, sending the blade flying into the slow pulsing heart of the other Saj. The Saj was dead immediately, the life gone from its red eyes before it even hit the ground. The Ka walked forward, slowly bending and pulling the dagger from the Saj's chest with a sickening squelch. He looked at the dead body before him, unremorseful.

Though, he did wish his brother was still alive. That wretched woman would pay for the things she'd done. Betraying them would be the last thing she ever did. She was always a strange one. The Ka had brought her in on a whim. She looked beautiful, and made him want to sink into her warm depths and bite into her neck to taste the warm blood that would pour from her veins.

Of course, as the Ka, Ri'saad could have anyone he liked. And he would have her, and then he would kill her.


	3. Chapter 3

**In the time I have been gone, I have gotten a lot done! The updates will be once a week, so be alert. I have also started a new fic! It's a two shot and also GrimmIchi. It's called Endeavors. GO CHECK IT OUT. Please (O/O) It's got a more modern feel to it, which is more my style, so it might not be as awkward as this fic, lol. I'm not used to writing in this style. I write like I talk, actually, which is with big words and a modern and perverted feel :P**

They came in the night. Their mounts made no sound in the sifting sand, so the two sleeping were not alerted. It was when one of the mounts made a loud and frightful clicking noise that Ichigo shot up in his spot on the desert floor. Then the noise started; loud screeches reached the ears of the redheaded man in the tent.

"Something's here! Hallibel wake up, now—" Ichigo whispered, frantically shaking Hallibel. The hissing was still loud and clear, and even getting closer.

"Be quiet, I'm already awake. It's the Saj," Hallibel said, lifting her hand and effortlessly quieting Ichigo's rambling. She slowly grabbed her sword, and quietly unsheathed it. Ichigo did the same.

"I'll go out first," Hallibel said, "they don't need to know about you, not yet."

Ichigo looked puzzled, "Why would you go out first? They might attack—"

"No, they won't, they don't know about you yet. I'm going out first," Hallibel interrupted.

"If I hear any fighting, I swear I'm coming out, I won't let you die," Ichigo said forcefully. He didn't notice the light blush that covered Hallibel's face after he said those words. The woman crawled out without another word. He heard muttered hisses outside the tent, realizing that that was the Saj speaking. He could barely understand what they said;

"Ah, the woman emerges. Where is your friend?" the voice asked.

"He is dead. He died of hunger, for he did not take enough food to cross the desert," came Hallibel's reply.

The Saj quieted, and then one of them spoke again. "Where is the body?" It asked.

"It is left where he fell. The wild nuu will eat what is left of him."

There was a quiet laughter that rang through the group of Saj. Ichigo felt that there would be no need for a fight, but that the Saj would make Hallibel go with them, and leaving a pitched tent behind would not be something that was in the norm. He was in the tent, so they would eventually have to see him. That would lead to a fight.

"Ka wants you, Hallibel. He wants to take you and lead you into his bed. Oh, how Ka wants you, dearest."

Disgust poured through Ichigo. He couldn't imagine someone as beautiful as Hallibel, bedding someone as hideous as the Saj leader must have been. Oh what he would do to prevent that. She needed more than some ugly pale creature that barely looked human. She needed a strong man, one of her own kind. Of course, she needed Ichigo. Not to take her to bed, of course. But to merely be with. She needed support from someone like him, who understood her to the fullest. What it was like to be alone in a merciless desert.

Oh gods, who was he trying to trick. He wanted Hallibel. To take her to bed would be that light of his pale existence. And he didn't want some slimy Saj, taking his place in her bed.

"I'm not ready for him," Hallibel replied. She laughed quietly, seductively even. "I will come to Ka when he bids, but only if I am ready to."

There was a resounding, menacing hiss and Ichigo gripped his sword tighter.

"You will come!"

He heard the sound of swords unsheathing and he quickly whipped his sword in an arc, cutting down the fabric surrounding him. He ran to Hallibel who was quickly lifting her own weapon. She brought it down on the first of the Saj approaching her. He cut open one of the Saj that ran towards him, his blade slicing a jagged wound across its chest. Before he could lift his weapon again, another Saj was running toward him. It jumped and wrapped its skinny, pale arms around his midriff, holding him in place. He spotted a Saj sprinting toward him, his weapon poised for attack. He quickly brought the hilt of his sword down on the head of the Saj holding him and turned swiftly out of its hold, before swinging his sword to stab to Saj running at him. Without time to stop, the Saj ran right into the attack, his life ending with a final wheeze.

A disgusting thing was revealed as the Saj in front of him fell to the ground. A large creature that looked similar to a scorpion clicked its way to him. He swung his sword in a high arc, bringing it down upon the thing. It did little as the sword bounced off the hard shell of the top. The creature opened dripping fangs revealing the pink, slimy interior of its mouth. It emitted a deep, guttural growling before he saw the pink inside swell. It was only years of gore and blood that kept Ichigo from throwing up what was in his empty stomach and being unable to dodge the spray of slimy blue fluid that spurted from its mouth. He spun around and, desperation fueling his limbs, he quickly brought his sword down, stabbing through the open mouth and impaling the creature into the sand. He wrenched his sword from the body with a sickening squelch. He wiped the blade of its blue coating of fluid with one of the hoods that the Saj wore.

He noticed Hallibel beside him, dodging a swing from a Saj, seeing that she was facing two opponents. He sheathed his sword and removed his bow from his back. Stringing an arrow he pulled the string taut, bending his bow to kill his opponent. He released the arrow and it shot forward, killing one of the two Saj attacking Hallibel. She quickly killed the last one, stabbing her sword through his neck.

She slowly sheathed her sword, her heart pounding in her chest. The Saj leader was after her, already.

She had suspected his motives behind taking her in. There was no other reason, aside from Ka being… interested in her. She had lived for nearly thirty years in the D'sol and she had not aged. She had watched many of the Saj die, and she felt hopeless. But the Ka aged, too. The only reason he would seek her out now was because he saw his end drawing near. He was old, and the last time Hallibel saw him he was wrinkled and ashen with age.

She had no idea what she would do after she got Ichigo out of the desert. Would she stay? She'd seen the end of the desert and so had Ichigo. But she had never gone close to it, mostly because she was always with one or more Saj, and they don't leave the desert.

But she'd not left also because she was afraid. She'd lived so long that she didn't know if her body would perhaps turn to dust the moment she set foot outside the desert. She honestly had no idea what to do. There was too much risk, and if she stayed she was going to die. She didn't want to die. She wanted to live. But she wanted to live a life that was not with the Saj watching her every move. She'd had her chance to get across the desert, and she had failed. But there was a glimmer of hope. Perhaps she wouldn't turn to dust with one step from the desert. Maybe she could leave and have no repercussions!

Of course… she now had her chance to escape this wretched desert. To be free from the slimy Saj and be released from her prison in the desert would be ideal. And to have Ichigo by her side… it would be marvelous.

"We should keep moving, if the Saj catch me, they will kill you and take me back to the Ka, as you heard," she murmured, not looking in Ichigo's direction, but instead focusing on the line of trees that waited for them on the horizon. Oh how she couldn't wait till she reached it.

"That is probably best," Ichigo responded, "What was that bug thing?" he asked, his face contorted in disgust.

"Ah, I see you killed the Nuu. They are one of the few creatures that inhabit this desert; the Saj used the chitin shell to make weapons and armor for themselves.

They spent some time packing up what was left of the camp, and then mounting the horses, which had surprisingly not run away in the skirmish with the Saj. After they set off, the sun was well into the sky, and it was heating the sand quickly. Ichigo would have long ago taken off his armor, if not for the threat the Saj posed.

Ichigo let his mind wander in that time, allowed himself to think about the man he'd left behind. Grimmjow was waiting for him to return. He was waiting for Ichigo, and he might not know that his immortality and love had allowed Ichigo another chance to gain back his life. His heart ached when he thought of the time they had spent together. Oh, how he missed his blue haired God. What could possibly have possessed him when he aimed to 'save' a God that didn't need saving. The man was probably well aware of the straggling archer. He was a _God! _Oh the folly of a heart arrested by the power of love! He was determined to find a way back to Grimmjow, and he would, of that he was sure.

They slept beneath the stars that night, for the last tent was destroyed and the tent that belonged to the Saj had been left behind at their last camp. It smelled putrid anyway, and they wouldn't not have wanted to sleep breathing in such a smell for the entire night, so it was with unspoken agreement that they slept on the remains of Hallibel's tent while looking up at the starry sky. Ichigo dreamt that night. He dreamt of being in his lover's arms, of having his hard body on top of him and inside him, loving him till he was boneless with satisfaction. Disappointment washed over him as dawn brought his present problems crashing back down on him. He wanted to see Grimmjow again, to hold him close and kiss him soundly on his soft lips. He wanted Grimmjow to make love to him, slowly and sensually.

He wanted, but he couldn't, was what he told himself, as he woke up completely. He lifted himself from his position on the ground and saw that Hallibel was standing up, looking off into the distance. He realized that she was looking at the edge of the desert, a longing look on her tanned face. She turned to look at him and he jumped slightly at seeing the slight shine of tears in her eyes.

He allowed himself a moment to erase his mind of all the thoughts of Grimmjow that were plaguing him at that moment, and he set his shoulders, prepared for what came next.

Whatever happened, he would reach Grimmjow, and he would live the rest of his life by his side.

* * *

They made it to the edge of the forest, and they were seeing the jagged trees and bushy plants. The desert did not fade into the vegetation as he thought it would, it merely ended, the sand lining up along the edge of the foliage, and the tropical trees reaching up into the sky from beside the sand. Ichigo thought they looked different that those of where he came from. They looked wild, not as ordinary to him. He'd never seen plants so green. The trees and leaves from his home paled in comparison to the vibrant emerald pigment he saw in these leaves. In his surprise he didn't think to keep going. But not only did seeing the new type of greenery surprise him, it instilled in him a deep and unwavering fear. What would this new environment bring with his first steps inside? Who knew what sort of creatures lay beyond the thick vegetation? He looked at this new kind of habitat with trepidation, for he did not know what it would bring. The desert brought things like the Saj and these nuu, what would this place bring? _Oh Grimmjow, getting to you is going to be difficult._

It was Ichigo that heard it first; the muted beating of hooves. He turned swiftly, spotting the lone horse that galloped across the barren desert.

**Shout out to jakondas,** **Misc. Ink, IILesGeMeAuxII,** **Mayuzu, ShadowsOfPenAndPaper, for remaining with me from TCF till now. Thanks guys! :D Next comes the fight! :DDDD**

**AkurnaSkulblaka **


End file.
